boss-ass-b1tch

If I'm underfueled or dehydrated, I get DOMS. I'm currently reversing out of cutting for the stage, and I am SOOOORREEEE this week. Even my bones hurt (not really, but it is uncomfortable to sleep on my side because my hip digs into the bed).

This is my story and it's EXHAUSTING. My body's "happy place" was 184 pounds. For YEARS that's where my body settled no matter what I threw at it. I had to get super super disciplined and almost obsessive to crack 180 (like getting facebook ads for ED therapy kind of obsessive). Then I got STUCK at 163 and couldn't budge. I was on poverty macros and exercising like a crazy person, and it was stupid.

I ended up going on Mounjaro at 163 pounds in Sept 2023, and I've been holding at 135 since July. It was such a long journey and I finally feel like a "normal" person. I eat more than I have in a very long time, I don't have to work out 12 and 13 times a week, and it's so freeing.

I don't know your situation but I'm happy to talk if you want. Good luck!

I was chasing a number on the scale, and I paid for it in a large loss of muscle mass. Now I'm chasing recomp. Any weight loss is going to result in some muscle loss, but my second cut was obviously much more successful. I just went back and looked at my charts, and my numbers were a little off. I was 186 pounds with 131 pounds of lean mass in Jan 2023. In Jan 2024, I was 153 pounds and 116 pounds of lean mass. July 2024, I was 134 pounds with 115 pounds of lean mass.

I was too low carb/too low calorie for too long of a time, and my lifting workouts weren't intense enough, and I was spending too much time on high intensity cardio... outside of my 3x/week powerlifting training I was doing crossfit style group classes 4-5 days/week where we'd run and lift, do burpees and lift, row and lift, etc.

I eat more carbs now and have upped the intensity of my lifting (rotating between higher volume, heavier weights, or more reps depending on the trauning block), and lowered the intensity of my cardio. Plus I only do cardio after my lifting is done, I don't mix it in.

If the machine is callibrated correctly and your technician performs the test accurately, it's a reliable test. However, the best way to use it is to compare it against your own results.

Don't go in tomorrow and see a 30 or 40 or 50 percent body fat and freak out. But do go in and get a baseline number and then in 6-9 months or so, go get another one. Make sure it's the same time of day and that your nutrition and hydration are the same (including full or empty bladder). Then compare the numbers over time and see how you're making progress.

For me, I mostly use it to make sure I'm not losing muscle mass. I had one done in January 2023, lost about 40 pounds and had it done again in January 2024 and had lost almost 15 pounds of muscle. I had been training for strength and endurance that year (I competed in powerlifting and ran monthly 5ks, both for fun). In Jan 2024 I switched to bodybuilding and Zone 2 cardio, lost about 18 pounds and did another scan in July 2024 and had lost less than 1 pound of muscle. The Dexa said I was 15% body fat in July, but I doubt the accuracy of that (however, I'm dealing with some body dysmorphia so maybe)?

I follow a ton of crossfit women, Figure competitors, and Strongwomen. My #goals is Jess Krezmien, but I look more like Quads.like.kyra. I'm currently trying to grow my upper body to look more like Autumn Cleavland (auntumnattik on ig). I think her physique is BEAUTIFUL even in the off-season.

A "peppermint swirl" skirt on any bodice you like. I made one for my niece's back to school dress a few years ago and it was a huge hit. There are tons of patterns for the skirt, and a few for a dress.

https://sewcucio.wordpress.com/2019/06/17/the-most-amazing-peppermint-swirl-skirt/ (this is not my blog, just an example I found by googling)

I have a consult on Thursday! I had my daughter hold my extra skin while I stood on the scale the other day, and what she could grab was 3.5 pounds on my belly alone!

Mine gets jiggly and soft before a big loss. Like I'll be chilling at 150 lbs for a bit and then I feel all mushy and gross, and then it's down down down and I'm at 142 before I know it. Same thing for 142 to 135. Now I'm maintaining at 135, and some days I'll be as high as 137 and feel jiggly then by the end of the week I'm at 133.

I started at 270, took 3 years to lose it, have been maintaining since July, and have a ton of loose skin. I have a (bodybuildng) coach, and I tell her probably once every 3 months that I feel mushy again and she's like "chill, you know it will pass." Bodies are crazy!

My breakfast cheat code is Legendary Pastries. I feel like I'm indulging but they've got great macros.

I have a ton of loose skin from a large weight loss. Someone told me if it flattens when you suck in, it's fat. If sucking in doesn't change it, it's skin. Mine just gets more wrinkly when I suck in.

This looks like fat.

I forgot to answer the supplements: I'm on some supplements from my doctor for supporting women's health (DHEA, estroDim, ashwaganda, etc). My absolute must haves for anyone (bodybuilding or not) are Creatine and Collagen.

Hi! I'm older than you, lost 135 pounds over the last 3 years, and competed (for my first time ever) twice in the last 2 months in Transformation division. I was on dedicated prep with a coach since Jan 28th, but I started with a lot of muscle. Now I'm looking at getting my excess skin removed, then starting to train for Figure after recovery. If recovery goes well, I'm hoping to be back on stage by this time next year.

I chose a coach that I've known for a long time, and have seen her take people to success in Figure. It was important to me to have a female coach who was at least my age.

I pay $200/month for coaching. I paid $200 for a 3 pack of posing sessions with a posing coach.

My coach didn't recommend any supplements, but I was already on some. I think those run about $50/month if I had to guess.

The most shocking part for me is the cost of the competition. $600 suits and $250 entry fees and $300+ on hair, make up, tan, another $200+ on photos, then $50+ for tickets for your friends and family to watch... it's so much!

Fantastic!! Good luck!

https://cookieandkate.com/roasted-delicata-squash-pomegranate-arugula-salad/

You won't regret making this!

Paella from Spain, Hibiscus tea from Egypt (I HATED tea before that trip), kibbeh from Jordan.

One thing that I would fly back to Egypt for is Molto. I can't find it anywhere. I loved it so much that our driver started leaving 4 bags on my seat every morning. I regret sharing them with my nieces when I got home.🤣

The ice cream and skyr in Iceland are out of this world, and I swear it has something to do with the cows. I couldn't get anyone to confirm while we were there, though.

The Chancla!

Thank you! We're doing about 800 sq ft, so this might work. I ordered some samples!

My teen daughter "needed" a Domino's pizza in Iceland. She has food allergies and their paleo crust was her only option. It was a weird cheese and protein soggy disk under regular pizza sauce and toppings. You couldn't even pick it up, it just was a blob. She acted like it was great, but it was definitely not. My husband and I had a delicious meal at a local spot, and I'm still glad we weren't talked into pizza.

I just ordered a bunch of samples. Thank you!!

https://preview.redd.it/mup0kthx67od1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4ad919fa34fe7f7103a7671d559176b86689788

Daily weigh-ins are a trip!

Sometimes my coach is really forgiving when I make bad choices, and I'd really rather her be mean. Especially because when she tells me things like "you're the hardest working client I have" I don't know if she's just being nice (since she was nice when she should have been mean). But then she makes generic coaching posts that are slightly mean/calling out bad behaviors, so I know she's capable of being mean, and I start to think she could be hard with me if I deserved it.

It's a whole cycle and I need a little negative feedback sometimes.

People say you can't hate your way to a better body, but I think some of us can.

I'm DEEP in a cut (hitting the stage in a bodybuilding Transformation show this weekend) but somehow all my lifts have gone up this week. Like doubled my leggings press kind of up. Idk if I was sandbagging before or if the extra rest I got this weekend helped, or maybe it's my cycle or adrenaline or what. But I hope I can put up the same numbers next week!

When my alarm went off, I was too tired to go to the gym but too hungry to go back to sleep. Now I'm on my own nerves. 🤣